Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line are set for a spectacular year in 2012 with the launch of the dazzling new Disney Fantasy cruise ship, the exciting expansion of Fantasyland and the opening of the new Art of Animation resort at Walt Disney World plus the glittering 20th Anniversary celebrations that will amaze visitors to Disneyland Paris

DISNEYLAND PARIS

Celebrating 20 years of magic

On April 12th 1992, Disneyland Paris opened its doors to thousands of eager guests for the first time. 20 years have gone by — 20 fairytale years, 20 years of enchantment, 20 years in which the dreams of millions of adults and children have come true.

As Disneyland Paris reaches this magical milestone, you are invited to join the 20th Anniversary celebrations from 1st April 2012, so get ready for lots of surprises and new entertainment, providing an explosion of magic, lights and colour. Don’t miss:

Disney Dreams! – a show that will dazzle guests after dark with thousands of lights, colours and magic, thanks to never-before-seen special effects, showcased at Sleeping Beauty Castle

Disney Magic on Parade! – new music, new floats, new choreography and new characters will provide guests with a completely fresh experience

Meet Mickey Mouse — The famous mouse himself will welcome guests in a rehearsal room full of amusing props and his favourite costumes. All guests will be able to take a photo with Mickey, amid the sumptuous theatre decor

This year is one not to be missed!

WALT DISNEY WORLD

Walt Disney World guests can begin to enjoy the exciting new Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom and also settle down for the night in the Art of Animation resort with rooms celebrating the colors, sights and sounds of Disney storytelling.

New Fantasyland
The largest expansion project in Magic Kingdom history will open in phases over the next two years, featuring attractions and experiences in an area that will nearly double the size of Fantasyland. Once complete, attractions guest will be able to enjoy include:

The new Storybook Circus area, where you can enjoy the whimsy of a classic circus and the first of two Dumbo The Flying Elephant attractions

The Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini junior roller-coaster

New Fantasyland Station that will serve as the gateway to Storybook Circus and all Fantasyland points beyond

A chance to immerse yourself in Under the Sea: The Voyage of the Little Mermaid

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train that will take guests on a rollicking, musical ride into the mine “where a million diamonds shine”

The chance to dine in Beast’s Castle at the Be Our Guest Restaurant

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (2012)
A new resort hotel inspired by Disney animation will feature 1,120 family suites themed after The Lion King, Cars and Finding Nemo, and 864 themed rooms in The Little Mermaid wings. Animated scenes will carry throughout building exteriors and room interiors and feature larger-than-life icons from the animated films in courtyard areas. Nemo will be the first wing to open, in May 2012, at the resort hotel — Disney World’s 25th. The Cars wing is scheduled to open in late July and The Lion King wing in late September. The final wing, themed after The Little Mermaid, will debut in late 2012. Crowned by a 35-foot-tall model of King Triton, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will be located next to Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

DISNEY CRUISE LINE

Launch of Disney Fantasy (March 2012)
When Disney Fantasy departs on her maiden voyage 31 March 2012, the new Disney Cruise Line ship will bring to life many innovative features of the recently launched sister ship Disney Dream. But these siblings are anything but identical twins! The 4,000-passenger Fantasy will take guests on week-long Caribbean cruises during which distinctive experiences begin with the Art Nouveau-inspired details of the three-deck atrium lobby where the pièce de résistance is a cast bronze statue of Mademoiselle Minnie Mouse dressed in vintage 1920s-30s fashion with a parasol and steamer luggage at her side.

Distinctive touches continue at meal time, show time and party time aboard Disney Fantasy

Animator’s Palate, a dinnertime favorite on all the Disney cruise ships, features a brand new show, Animation Magic, for which guests do a bit of character doodling or drawing. The climax of the show involves Sorcerer Mickey conjuring the guests’ drawings — fully animated and brought to life — into onscreen action.

For a fully coiffed entrance to dinner at the new Royal Court Restaurant, appointments can be made for aspiring young princes and princesses, ages 3-12, at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, a popular salon at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort that’s taking to the high seas for the first time with special makeovers: Captain Mickey Mouse, Princess Minnie Mouse and First Mate Minnie Mouse plus Under the Sea packages.

On pirate party nights, the salon transforms into the Pirate’s League, where swashbuckling boys, girls and grownups can get ready for the pirate life with two pirate packages: First Mate (includes bandana, facial scars tattoos, fake teeth, earring, eye patch, sword and sheath) or Empress (includes bandana, shimmering makeup, face gem, tattoos, nail polish, earring, eye patch, sword and sheath).

The exclusive live theater production Disney’s Aladdin — A Musical Spectacularis staged in the luxurious, 1,340-seat Walt Disney Theatre. In the fast-paced 45-minute musical comedy, Aladdin is back as the “street rat” of Agrabah meeting up with a Genie who grants him three wishes, battling the evil Jafar, and falling in love with Princess Jasmine.

Join The Muppets on a new detective adventure game around the ship. The case of The Stolen Show begins with Kermit, Miss Piggy and more than 20 other of The Muppets preparing to stage a big performance. Passengers will take part in interactive game unveiling clues around the ship to find the missing props from the show.

On the Disney Fantasy, guests can splash and play in the AquaLab — a brand-new water play area on deck 12, near the entrance to the AquaDuck water coaster. Families can frolic among pop jets, geysers and bubblers in this fun and fanciful 1,800-square-foot space. As the story goes, AquaLab was created by Donald Duck’s nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, and features a variety of water “experiments” designed to drench the whole family.

Guests 18 and older can head off to an evening of club hopping at Europa, a nighttime entertainment district featuring sophisticated bars and trendy lounges inspired by the very best in European travel.

A new ship means new main stage entertainment at the Walt Disney Theatre, and Wishes is a spectacular production debuting on the Disney Fantasy. This signature show is a 45-minute musical journey about three best friends who discover the secret to being a grown-up is staying connected to their inner child.

Disney Cruise Line Visits New Ports, Offers New Itineraries (beginning May 2012)
The Disney Fantasy will depart on her maiden voyage 31 March 2012, and will sail out of Port Canaveral on seven-night Caribbean itineraries, with a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. The Disney Dream will sail three-, four- and five-night cruises from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. For the first time ever, Disney Cruise Line will set sail from three new ports in 2012 — New York, Seattle and Galveston, Texas — with several new itineraries planned. Beginning in May, the Disney Magic will sail 20 cruises from New York — including eight-night cruises to the Bahamas, five-night cruises up the New England coast to Canada and two-night weekend cruises. Also beginning in May, the Disney Wonder will sail 14 seven-night cruises from the Port of Seattle to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as Victoria, British Columbia. Beginning in September, the Disney Magic will sail 12 seven-night cruises from the Port of Galveston to the Western Caribbean.